Western Piedmont Symphony Performs MASTERWORKS: OTHER WORLDS

Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS), the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina, presents MASTERWORKS: OTHER WORLDS. Featuring Wu Man, pipa player and member of the Silkroad Ensemble, the concert is October 21 at 7:30 PM at P.E. Monroe Auditorium in Hickory, NC.

Journey around the world with Western Piedmont Symphony, led by Maestro Matthew Troy and featuring the world's premier pipa player, Wu Man. The pipa is an ancient Chinese lute-like instrument that may date as far back as the Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) and will be beautifully brought to life by the virtuosic Wu Man. As part of the Silkroad Ensemble, conceived by Yo-Yo Ma in 2000, Wu Man has been featured on an album that won a GRAMMY and a documentary that won an Emmy. In addition, because of her contribution to the preservation of traditional music and bringing the pipa to modern audiences around the world, Wu Man was recently named a 2023 NEA National Heritage Fellow, the United States' most prestigious honor in the traditional and folk arts.

"The Chinese pipa has a history of more than 2,000 years and has unique timbre and style. I'm really looking forward to my first collaboration with [Western Piedmont] Symphony and sharing my music with audiences," featured artist Wu Man stated. "I believe this will be an unforgettable musical and cultural experience. See you on October 21st!"

"I am thrilled to present our opening Masterworks concert, "Other Worlds," with Wu Man, one of the world's leading artists and ambassadors of Asian music," noted Maestro Matthew Troy. "This concert will immediately transport you to a world of passionate love themes from Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet Overture, the intriguing sounds of China with Zhao Jiping's Concerto No. 2 for Pipa and Orchestra, and closing the program with the powerful and colorful Italian masterpiece, Respighi's Pines of Rome. This concert will be a powerful and thrilling experience that you do not want to miss!"

Western Piedmont Symphony MASTERWORKS is sponsored by the Past Presidents Club, David K. Millholland, Lynn and Chip Young, and Catawba Valley Health System, and with generous support from the United Arts Council of Catawba County and the North Carolina Arts Council.

MASTERWORKS tickets are $20, $30, $40, and $50 with $10 tickets available for students with valid ID. Purchase by visiting wpsymphony.org/tickets, call 828.324.8603, or visit the WPS Box Office, located on the SALT Block at 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory, NC, 28601. Box Office hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mon. - Fri. Concert venue is P.E. Monroe Auditorium on the Lenoir-Rhyne University campus, 775 6th St NE, Hickory, NC, 28601. Please note: All programs, artists, venues, prices, and dates are subject to change.

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